Car-brake.



W, L. TAYLOR.

GAR BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.30,1908.

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. Improvements in Car-Brakes, of whichr the intrisa t. Tartes. QF DE ananas. LoUisnNA.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER L. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at De Ridder, in the parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana, have vinvented new and useful following is a specification.

- brakes of the cars of a train, and also obviat- This invention relates to improvements in hand brakes. for railway cars, and particularly to the brake mechanisms used upon freight cars, the object of the invention being to provide a means for locking the operating trod or shaft in brake applying position and permitting quick release of the same when it is desired to throw olf the'brakes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a releasing mechanism which may be operated from the top of the car or from the ground at either side of the car, the construetion obviating the necessity of the brakeman climbing to the top of a car and passing from car to car in order to successively release the ing the dangers incident thereto.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompa-` nying drawing, in whichzw Figure 1 is an end view of a freight car equipped with the invention. tail view of the upper end of the shaft and the locking mechanism.A

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a car, at each end of which is arranged the ordinary vertical brake o )erating rod or shaft 2 journaledin suitable earings 3, provided at lits upper end with an Ao erating hand wheel 4 and connected at its ower end with the usual brake chain 5. Ordinarily, the brakeshaft is locked in brake applying position by a locking mechanism embodyingI a ratchet wheel at the upper end thereof adapted for engagement by a locking pawl on the top ofthe car. 4 The rules of all railroad companies require the brakes of cars standing on a siding, switches, loading docks, etc., to be set, so that when the cars are coupled to alocomotiveor train the brakeman is compelled to climb on top of the cars to release the brakes. It often happens that the car is taken out and connected up in thetrain without the brakes being released, owing to neglect or disobedience of orders by the brakeman in order to avoid the trouble of climbing to the tope of the cars, thus wearing the Specication of Lettersl Patent.

Patented May 1 1,V 1909,

Anuman and come: ao, nos. serial No. mais.

brake shoes' and making the train pull heavily. The operation of climbing to theA tops of the cars for the purpose of releasing the brakes is also a dangerous one, as in passing from car to car the brakeman is liable to slip and fall between cars. The object of the present invention is to provide a construction which will obviate these obj'ections, by which the brake shaft may be locked in the usualY manner and yet quickly released from the top of the ear under ordinary conditions, and by which also the shaft may be released from below at either side of the car, thus enabling the brakes of a large number of cars to be quickly released without liability of danger to the brakeman.

In carrying my invention into practice, a disk or head 6 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft and formed on its underside with ratchet teeth. These teeth are adapted to out of engagement with the ratchet teeth.

Arranged on opposite sides of the center of the end of the car are operating levers 10, fulcrumed at 11, and provided at their outer ends, which terminate near the sides of the car, with actuating handles 12. The inner ends of'said levers are pivotally'connected to the lower end of a rod 13 which is coupled at its upper end by a chain 14 to the forward end of the lever 8. It will be apparent that this construction enables vthe brakeman to ull down upon the rod b f actuating the ever from` either side of t e car so as to swing the lever to withdraw the pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel, thus releasing the shaft 2. Hence, it will be seen that the structure provides a means by which the brake shaft ma be locked in set position, quickly` released firom the top of the car, or as quickly and conveniently released from the ground at either side of the car,` I

thus obviating the necessity of a brakeman on the ground climbing to the top of the car or passingbetween adjacent ycars. to release locking mechanism upon the to of the-shaftv and car including a movable loc 'ng element 2. In a brake operating mechanism, the

combination of a car, a brake operating shaft iournaled vertically upon the end of the car, locking mechanism upon the to of the shaft and car including a movable loc lng elementl having an actuating portion, pivot operating levers upon the end of the car arranged to be actuated from the opposite sides thereof, and a connection between said levers and the said movable locking element.

3. In a brake mechanism for cars, the com-l bination of a car, a shaftvjournaled vertically upon the end of the car and 'provided at its upper end with an operating Wheel and a ratchet disk, a pivoted locking lever carrying a do to engage the teeth of the disk and provide at one end with an actuatin portion, operating levers upon the end of t e car arranged toA be operated from the opposite sides thereof, and a connection between said levers and the locking lever whereby the latter may be retracted. p

4. In a brake mechanism for cars, the combination of a car, a shaft journaled vertically upon the end of the car and rovided at its up er end with a hand whee and a ratchet dis a locking lever pivoted upon the top of the car and having a dog on one side of its pivotal connection to engage said ratchet disk and an operating portion at the opposite side of its pivotal connection, levers mounted upon the end of the car and having operating portions arranged adjacent the sides thereof, and means ivotally connecting the inner ends of said evers to the dog carrying portion of the locking lever.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER TAYLOR. 

